The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating religious discrimination claims against two airports because plans for Chick-fil-A restaurants were scrapped after complaints about the fast food chain's stance on LGBTQ issues. (www.cnn.com) 更多...

It's not a matter of hiring discrimination. It's a matter of the company giving money to organizations that support gay conversion therapy and other anti-gay causes. Why any gay person in their right mind would want to work there is beyond me.

"Chick-fil-A has donated over $5 million, via WinShape, to groups that oppose same-sex marriage. Of this, more than $3 million was donated primarily to Christian organizations whose agendas included positions that oppose same-sex marriage,[59] with the money donated between 2003 and 2009.[60] A total of $1.9 million was donated in 2010 to groups such as the Marriage & Family Foundation, Exodus International, and the Family Research Council (FRC).[61] That year, the FRC, which received $1,000[62] was listed as an anti-gay[63] hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.[64] WinShape has also contributed to Christian groups including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Exodus International, the latter of which is noted for supporting ex-gay conversion therapy.[61]"

"In September 2012, The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) announced that Chick-fil-A had "ceased donating to organizations that promote discrimination, specifically against LGBT civil rights." This change in policy has not been confirmed by Chick-fil-A officials. Chick-fil-A officials did state in an internal document that they "will treat every person equally, regardless of sexual orientation."[76] In a letter from Chick-fil-A's Senior Director of Real Estate, the company states, "The WinShape Foundation is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas."[77][78]"

CFA Foundation, the company's owner, Dan Cathy, and Winshape support traditional marriage as defined in Matthew 19:4-5. If they did not follow Christ's words as taught and picked and chose what they wanted to promote, they could rightly be called hypocrites. They aren't. Cathy has been consistent all along.

And, for record, only about a forth of each year's funding from CFA Foundation goes to Christian organizations. The rest goes to secular organizations including government schools. In their last 990 filing, that was just over eight million in total. 100% of its funding is dedicated to kid's programs.

The corporation also gives out substantantial funding, including several million in student employees receiving college scholarships.

Then explain why the ATL Assistant Fire Chief, who is a Christian; was fired for writing & promoting a book that said marriage was between a man & woman? The city paid dearly in a monetary way for his wrongful termination.

So far as Conservatives wanting a one way street, how is it that liberals who preach tolerance, love, & inclusiveness are the ones who get bent all out of shape & violent when it comes to people who disagree & oppose a liberals beliefs?

Any time you make the Southern Poverty Law Center’s bad list, you must be doing something right! CFA will continue to succeed because they treat ALL people with love and respect following yes, I’ll say it “Christian principles” EVEN if they disagree with them. I hate that many many large companies donate money to planned parenthood because they think they are doing good. Sometimes I have to patronize those businesses even though I disagree with their policy unlike the radical left!

The one thing that I've not seen in these posts is that even with all the vitriol against CFA, at least a couple of polls have indicated that CFA is the number one fast food restaurant chain in the U.S. (Sorry--I don't have time to provide the links.) This is with full public knowledge that CFA has always closed its restaurants on Sundays. Apparently the public as a whole supports that corporate decision. The public WANTS the product and can accept that they won't be able to get it on Sundays.

Exactly. The customers are happy even though the owners wanted it like that. They also have probably the best customer service in all fast food restaurants. One day out of the week is nothing for customers who appreciate those things.

Alan Brown has it right. From what I've seen at CFA, all customers are welcome at all times and at all locations. And for Brian James - we all enjoy the right to chose who we work for - people can choose who they will work for and for whatever they're reason.

It's about time the government began enforcing discrimination law. Companies and people are free to hold any views they like but in the business realm they must not discriminate against their customers and that includes lessees.

Well you could safely bet the house the last Administration’s lackeys wouldn’t have lifted a finger to look into much less done anything abt what’s happened in these two instances; then again maybe for a “price”. The airport’s may have even had additional monies given to them for their stances & an award given.

Damn straight should be up to the owner they own and operate it not social media or the government. People need to get over themselves and live there life rather than getting all worked up about something that's not even up to them. Move out of the US and to China.

have you ever been through gay conversion therapy? You know when they clamp electrodes to your penis and scrotum and then show you pornography and electrocute you every time your body shows a sexual response? That's supposed to make you turn straight. Would you buy this company's food if they gave money to organizations that did that to straight people to make them turn gay?

People believe the issues with the fast food restaurant are a "difference of opinion" or that they have "their right to believe what they want." The problem is that they put their profits into gay conversion therapy, which does not work and damages the people who are put through it. And they support this with a cherry picked statement from the bible.

Right, the graphic comment is on purpose so that people understand that this isn't just about a difference of opinion. The fast food company is also hypocritical in that the same passage they use to support the implementation of torture also condemns adultery but they apparently have an issue with that.

Bottom line? FAA should mind it's own business - which they don't seem to be able to do very well.

FAA were dragged into this because Delaware North, the company controlling the airport restaurants that excluded CFA, has taken a strange stance on issues that aren't business relevant. Anyway this is a can of worms that doesn't need to be here in a Flightaware forum.

I remember when this happened here, all they had to do was say we need a restaurant that is open on Sunday like the airport, which they tried to say after the fact. This statement on the airport website is comical at best. https://www.sanantonio.gov/Council/d1/News/PressReleases/ArtMID/26849/ArticleID/15246/Councilman-Roberto-Trevi241o%E2%80%99s-statement-regarding-airport-concession-agreement-with-Paradies-Lagard232re "Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport"... Except if you have a camera and take pictures of aircraft, lol.

So, a PRIVATELY held company's owners are devout Christians and don't hide it. They abide by Christ's teaching in Matthew 19:4-5.

I guess you liberal idiots would have greater respect if they threw out that verse in Christ's teachings thereby showing themselves as hypocrites.

Of course, then they would fit right in with you liberals... the kings of hypocrisy.

Oh, one more thing... Recall a year or so ago when Atlanta Hartsfield lost all power and it essentially shut down the entire airport? Guess what local corporation came in on a Sunday, set up all the equipment and provided foot to all the travelers when no one else could? Dan Cathy, the CFA CEO, came in personally and assisted in distributing food to passengers, all for free.

Then when The Pulse, a gay night club, was attacked, what business came in during the middle of the night and provided food to first responders and victims?

Numerous times during disasters, bad weather and other events, CFA has come through. The only other company I can think of that has done as much is Whataburger.

But, because its owner believes and stated he believes in traditional marriage, you liberals CHOOSE to hate them. Sad. Absolutely sad.

Yes, you have noticed something everyone else realized long ago about corporations, profit is their first goal. Econ 101. Just because they campaign against LGBT people doesn't mean they don't still love our money. You're an abomination destind for hell, also how would you like a chicken sandwich? None of us "liberal idiots" really care about how you interpret your beliefs, we just want you and your ilk to leave other people alone. That's Dan Cathy's prerogative if he wants to be a miserable pissant, but he needs to stop making it everyone else's too.

I have read that the FAA is so short of resources that it cannot properly oversee Boeing to build aeroplanes and as a result allows Boeing to self certify a lot of its work! Now I read this article that tells me the FAA is investigating airports because they exclude Chick-fil-A restaurants! Where is this world headed?

The grievance culture and outrage addicts are thriving! Dig up whatever unsavory linkage you can find, glom onto the most tangential, turn it into a straw-man sledge hammer and beat the crap out of someone (or some business). Sadly, it would have been far more acceptable and less controversial had Mr. Cathy donated money to organizations that kill babies. The bottom line to me is twofold: 1) tolerance is NOT a one way street, and 2) Chick-fil-A has the best chicken sandwiches! People need to chill...

If the city Counsel feels so strongly they should close all 28 CFA's in their politically correct city, The only ones "hurt" here are those that love CFA, their products and their fabulous corporate culture.

Saw the other day, a Chick Fil A manager changed a customers tire that went flat while waiting in the drive through. Let’s see any of the Mickey D’s Hardee’s/Carl Jr’s, or any other fast food employee do that. They wouldn’t do that even if they were being overpaid @ $15/hour.

Here is the issue. A community has made a decision through their elected officials that this is the policy they want. No CFA for their express reason. An agency of the federal government is attempting to usurp local control. This is happening much to often where state and federal agencies are attempting to remove power from the local level and concentrate it at the national and state levels. Not what was intended by the framers of the constitution and was in fact one of the causes of the revolution. Seems that the FFA has their hands full lately trying to ensure safe air travel and should be concentrating on that.

As I SAID the community through their ELECTED officials decided. And, as I have seen no particular opposition from the community it looks as if it is a non issue in San Antonio at least. Plus their election drama had nothing to do with my comment. So I am not wrong.

You mean the federal government would withhold the tax money that the citizens paid them to maintain the airport? Humm doesn't sound right to me. People have 4 pockets. Out of one pocket comes municipal taxes, out of another county, another state and another federal. Now guess where all the money for the airport come from. A community has a right to decide these things and if the government wants to argue the point it is time to throw them all out and start over.

The FAA fined Chicago after the duly elected mayor there carved up and closed Meigs Field without proper authorization. Residents had to pay twice. Any government agency cannot discriminate against anyone for their religious beliefs. CFA does not discriminate on who it hires (remember CFA uses a franchise model) or serves. All are welcome.

I'm not sure you understand how airports are funded. The construction and maintenance of anything flying related is funded on 90% grants through the FAA. The way that works, the local government puts up 10% of the funds and the federal government provides the other 90% through a grant. Along with this grant comes "grant assurances" part of which require the airport to be non-discriminatory. If the airport does not comply with the grant assurances, not only do they lose any future federal funding, they must pay a prorated amount for the grant money previously collected for projects that have not reached the end of their useful life. For an airport like San Antonio, that is several millions of dollars to repay.

Yes, I was referring to you. Your ignorance of the entire event going all the way back to Cathy first making the comment in a PRIVATE setting is more than clear. Your disdain for Christians or anyone with religious beliefs is quite clear.

If you were my flight student and I saw such attitudes I'd dump you in a heartbeat because you appear to lack one.

Hmmmm...... Excluding The likes of CFA and McDonalds is more a matter of taste than anything else. It comes as no surprise that CFA would use any fulcrum to serve its food. Don’t municipalities have the right to say we don’t want our airport to serve crap food?

so it might be a good idea to do a little research before you post. The fast food company directs part of it's profit to organizations that promote gay conversion therapy and other anti-gay causes. It's not a matter of disapproval, it's a matter of supporting organizations that try to electrocute people into being straight. You should give it a try so you know what people forced into conversion therapy go through. Then come back here and tell us if you think this company's donations are to a worthy cause.

In the meantime, the FAA is certifying planes that shouldn't be in the air.

Seriously? Where's the discrimination? It doesn't happen in the stores because they want the money to keep coming across the counter. It happens when they take their profits and pour it into anti-gay organizations so that those organizations can do the dirty work while the fast food company looks like they are clean.

That's not discrimination. Pouring money? Hardly. Less than $2m. And its a stretch to call Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army anti-gay organizations. They freely admitted that they stopping giving to an organization is Atlanta. Many people disapprove of certain behaviors and lifestyle it doesn't make them bigots or bad people because some don't get the affirmation from all quarters of society. Grow up.

It never stops at mere "disapproval", though. They are unable to agree to disagree, they try to force people to change according to their whims, and are angry when they receive pushback. So yes, they are bad people.

Perhaps you should supply a link or two supporting your claim. You made the assertion, you have the responsibility to back your claim. Until then, you are nothing more than an agenda driver without veracity.

Anyone ever notice that when a comrade lib spouts some their usual drivel, they get angry when they are challenged? Any change from the standard airport food is welcome. Just because they do not have the lib values of Starbucks or Wolfgang Puck is no reason to get infantile over it.

The issue is that the airports require ALL VENDORS to be open on Sunday, and this vendor REFUSES to comply.

Only you Russian agents/anti Christs see this as a /religious/liberal/conservative issue. If they want to have a location in the airport then they need to comply with THE SAME EXACT RULES AS ALL OTHER VENDORS.

They don’t need to be open on Sundays, just by reputation alone they can rake in the money.

Meanwhile, go to any Mickey D’s or other fast food restaurant, you’ll be lucky to get an employee that cares enough to get your order right or gives you the time of day; yet demands $15/hour because they don’t have the backbone to do what it takes (either by getting a better education leading to a better job OR by working a second or third job) to improve their lot in life.

No Person, group or corporation has the right to discriminate. The Bible (I believe) says to love everyone, does it not?So many hypocrites in the far right ...you can’t just do one good thing and then turn around and reverse your behavior.This is 2019, not 1950. Come on, people!!

The complaint was that Chick-Fil-A wasn’t allowed to open two airport locations for no reason other than their respective city councils objecting to the company founder’s religious views. It sounds to me as though CFA was the one discriminated against because of hypocrites on the far left, eh?

The FAA can't properly certify a 737 but they can get involved in a bigoted company's outlets at airports. They're supposed to be concerned with keeping people safe in the air, not worrying about what they have available to clog their arteries on the ground before they get on their 737 that's going to crash.

Thanks to the trump administration for again proving that profit is more important than people

POTUS does nothing other than make nominations for director; funding comes from Congress. As I've suggested many times over,the FAA became a toothless lion long before our current POTUS took office. That's on Congress.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, politicians (regardless of the letters behind their name) and diapers need to be changed often, and for the same reason.

From the article: "Federal requirements prohibit airport operators from excluding persons on the basis of religious creed from participating in airport activities that receive or benefit from FAA grant funding." So it is part of their job. And what San Antonio has done likely violates the First Amendment as it is viewpoint discrimination:

SIR: Well, if the gvt cannot keep a out a business on the basis of its owners viewpoints, then how do you explain the case in CO, recently, that a bakery (baker) refused in making a decorated cake for same sex couple for their wedding/anniversary. Wasn't that taken to court, (government) and the court won over the same sex couple. Seems to me that the government in CO WON that one!

No - the Supreme Court decided in favor of the baker because the lower courts did not properly handle the administration of the case there. It was a narrow decision applied only to this case. And it's a totally different situation

The SC ruled in the baker's favor due to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission not being impartial and went after him with a bias that they were not allowed to do. The commission is supposed to be religious neutral when deciding complaints. The baker didn't get a decision on whether or not he is or is not supposed to bake a cake for a gay couple. As you noted it was a very narrow decision. Goverment agencies cannot discriminate against people over religious beliefs.

It is not the job of the Faa to protect the speech of a company. Period. This is overreach. . CFA contributes to Hate groups and they discriminates by proxy. What do they do there pregnant or gay employees. Fire them. So cut the crap. Faa is our it’s element here. And any of you folks who claim cfa has a right to free speech. True enough. But they are not free from the accountability of that speech. Any of you donate to hate groups and expect no one to hold you accountable think again.

It turns out it is the job of the FAA to oversee airport concessions, so this isn’t overreach. Your claims against CFA regarding discriminatory hiring and firing aren’t supported by the facts. It’s pretty ironic (and frightening) to see so many people supporting government-sanctioned discrimination as a response to some perceived injustice. If you don’t like who CFA supports, feel free not to patronize them, but it’s unreasonable to expect a government institution to prevent them from operating under the guise of what you call “accountability.”

Accoumtiilty and religious hate speech. Yep. More than that they fund and support the electro shock of children. Torture. Why are my tax dollars being used to protect hate speech. Why shouldn’t any business or person hold them accountable for supporting the torture of children.

Contrary to a seemingly popular belief among the left, what you guys call hate speech is protected by the first amendment. Otherwise, the first amendment would be meaningless as whichever party is in power could arbitrarily decide anything they disagree with constitutes “hate speech.”

Another approach would be to let them open the restaurants, stage peaceful protests at the locations urging people not to make purchases there and see if that causes them to lose money and have to close down.

That was done at a number of locations when the controversy started, and I seem to recall the coverage actually increased business, or at worst had no effect. But I agree, that would be the correct course of action.

Maybe they could have done as they did when CFA got a contract to go into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium: on Sunday, another vendor occupies the space... https://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-mercedes-benz-stadium-closes-fries-up-sundays-super-bowl-2019-1/

FlightAware, Please close this thread. Yes, it is aviation related as far as the tax $ going to these airports, but this has just become a pissing contest for the few who post arguments in multiple locations throughout this thread. Do us all a favor and give it a rest.

Yes, I agree. But then to look through almost every post just to reply with an argument about that post... come on. Make a comment about the subject and move on. Don't look for reason to fight about every post. Bogus indeed!

*** HEY, someone wrote: "what goes around, comes...." I don't blame ANY airport for refusing this particular establishment. CASE IN POINT: Colorado and the bakery that REFUSED in making a cake w/decorations about same sex couples, then SAT and other airport HAS a RIGHT to refuse this fast food company, and THEY'RE CLOSED on SUNDAYS. If they gave almost 2mil to SUPPORT ANTI-GAY, that's their business and THEIR belief's. ALSO, didn't think that FAA OWNS an airport, thought it is owned by the city...guess i'm behind the times!! THANKS

I guess the FAA would have had something to say to bakeries if they funded 90% of their construction, etc. Not commenting on the religious beliefs, etc. but rather that the FAA has a pretty big stake in airports.

The Colorado bakery was a private business, whereas the airport is a public institution supported by federal tax dollars, so the laws in effect are different. But in any event, the court ruled that the local board had shown bias against the bakery, without rendering any judgement on the bakery refusing service to the gay customer. So actually, siding with the bakery and with Chick-Fil-A is logically consistent.